Neither Yesterdays Nor Tomorrows

by George J Elbaum

St. Peter’s Elementary School, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1878, is an elementary and middle school with approximately 300 students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.  The school is one of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Catholic Schools and a vital part of the parish, a predominantly Latino community in San Francisco’s Mission District.  Since its foundation, St. Peter’s has served all economic levels of the community by providing a well-rounded academic and Catholic education in a partnership with parents, who are recognized as the primary educators of their children.  The school recognizes its important role in the growth and development of students and their families, and it thus promotes Gospel values and fosters peace, justice, integrity, honesty and love for learning.

As part of that effort, St. Peter’s has a month-long study of the Holocaust for its 8^th grade students taught by Nina Martinez Fuaau, Language Arts Teacher, who organized today’s event and took photos during it.  This was my third visit to St. Peter’s, and in preparation the students read Elie Wiesel’s Night and are currently viewing Schindler’s List, so their questions during Q&A reflected their knowledge plus natural curiosity, which I always admire.  Upon my arrival I was greeted at the school’s parking lot by two helpful and enthusiastic students, Anderson and Emilio, with whom I had a nice chat while they guided me to the room for my presentation and afterwards escorted me back to my car.

My presentation was arranged by Nikki Bambauer, Program Coordinator of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Holocaust Center.

by George J Elbaum

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) is a San Francisco Bay Area social services organization whose mission statement is “Serving individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds, guided by the Jewish value of caring for those in our community most in need.” As such, JFCS carries a special responsibility within the Jewish community for reaching out to children, the aged, those with special needs, and for the resettlement and acculturation of refugees and immigrants.

Among its many services, the JFCS provides the facilities and arranges presentations on the Holocaust to visiting student groups.  Such day-long visits to the Holocaust Center normally start with a lesson from Holocaust Center staff to provide historical context that ties into and is followed by a presentation from a Holocaust survivor.  My talk today was to the 9^th grade students from Proof School, a math-oriented (grades 6-12) school in San Francisco, who are engaged in a 6-weeks study unit on the Holocaust as part of their World History curriculum. (“Our students come to Proof School as math kids. Where they go, and who they become, is discovered each year, in secondary school and beyond.….We aim for our graduates to lead in the world as analytical, literate, compassionate citizens.”)  This was their second consecutive year for Proof School students to visit the JFCS, guided by history teacher Eve Simister and science teacher Kaushik Basu.

My talk, preparation, parking, etc., was ably arranged by Nikki Bambauer, JFCS Holocaust Center’s Program Coordinator, while JFCS Holocaust Center’s Associate Director Alexis Herr led a workshop with the students on the history of Jewish ghettos, introduced me to the audience and attended the talk.

Students’ Letters

Several weeks (Christmas vacation, etc) after my talk to a dozen Proof School students visiting JFCS I received an envelope with letters from the 9^th grade students plus a very thoughtful letter from their history teacher Eve Simister.  As usual, my wife Mimi and I read the letters, with Mimi reading each letter aloud while I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally.   Considering these were 9^th grade students, we were amazed by the maturity, perceptiveness and sensitivity shown in the letters, which is evident by the so many great statements from their 12 letters that particularly resonated with us and are excerpted below.  Also evident was a very good class discussion facilitated by the teacher after my talk.  We were thus very gratified by the students’ responses to my story, and a special “thank you” to the ingenuous student who attached an excellent full-page drawing of my book’s cover image, but with two visually minor but conceptually major changes: his airplane does not have the Nazi insignia, and it is towing a large advertising-type banner saying “THANK YOU!”

• Thank you so much for sharing with us not only your incredible, miraculous story, but also some of the most meaningful pieces of wisdom I have ever received. From you, I learned much more than the history of the Holocaust – I gained a new perspective on it too.
• The Holocaust had never felt as real to me as it did when I heard your experiences. For so long, in fact, it had been something impossibly distant from me, something I couldn’t even begin to imagine.  Hearing you speak of your inspiring and wild personal experiences, the Holocaust suddenly felt not as something affecting “the masses” but as an atrocity that impacted people like me.
• I appreciate people like you who strive to tell us what we can learn from the Holocaust. It must take immense bravery and will power to place yourself into those horrors again to teach another generation, and I thank you for that.
• By telling the individual stories of the Holocaust, we do not lose sight of individuals, and therefore humanity.
• Courage is often thought of as going into a difficult situation without hesitation the first time, but your courage is the ability to go back many times into a genocide to help prevent another one.
• I appreciate your heart to heart conversation with us. You left us with sincere thoughts about what we will do with our lives & what values we will treasure.
• I truly admire your passion & desire to continue spreading your message & story to others.
• Thank you so much for coming and talking with such compassion. I especially think the Holocaust seems real only when talking with a survivor.  When I was told that I would meet a survivor, I knew that it would be special.  However, I didn’t realize until during the talk the true uniqueness.
• It was such a mind-boggling experience to hear from a Holocaust survivor and be able to see the Holocaust from the perspective of someone who was inside of it and survived it, and I loved how you somehow slipped in some humor into your stories.
• Your narration was so compelling and gripping that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I especially loved how you connected the narration to the events going on in the world right now, and what we should do about them
• The day after your talk we brainstormed in class some questions that we would want to ask you if we could meet you again. I’ll check your website to see if you have answered them already.
• Your experience was vivid and real, and the Holocaust began to feel real to me. I was no longer distanced from it.
• As I grow up, I will think harder about whether my actions display peace and tolerance or anger and intolerance.
• I want to thank your wife, Mimi, for encouraging you to do these talks and write your book. Because of her, you have inspired countless people.
• I realize now that, when studying the Holocaust before, I thought of it in an abstract way. It was a distant event, completely separated from the present.  However, hearing you talk about it completely changed this image.  You helped me understand the impact of the Holocaust in a way that reading about it never could.
• I admire your striving to spread your story because you see it as a duty to educate younger generations, and I hope you reach your goal of 50 lessons this year.
• In times like these, when there is fake news and false information spreading everywhere, it is so important to have trusted sources of knowledge, so thank you for sharing your truth with us and so many other students.
• In all my studies of the Holocaust, none of them have been as personal and moving as your story. 

Teacher’s letter

• Hearing about your experience was the most powerful part of our study of the Holocaust.  I’m grateful that we had the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust on a more personal level, as the vast numbers can feel incomprehensible.  I also found your comparison to the population of San Francisco incredibly helpful, and I hope to share a similar comparison with future students.
• I was particularly inspired by your goal of doubling the number of talks you give in 2017 as your response to the current political climate.

by George J Elbaum

Amador Valley High School (AVHS) has set a challenging question for its 2640 students to explore: “How will you A.I.D. your world?” wherein A stands for Academic Achievement, I for Innovative Thinking, and D for Demonstration of Civic Responsibility.  The school success in academic achievement is shown by being deemed a three-time California Distinguished School, a National School of Character, and a two-time National Blue Ribbon School.  The Daily Beast/Newsweek ranked Amador Valley High School 238th in its list of the 1,000 Best High Schools in America.  This success in academics is paralleled in AVHS’s extracurricular activities such as music, theater, and athletics, as well as the development of civic awareness and responsibility in its students.  In national competitions such as We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, the Amador Valley team has ranked in the top four places 10 times in recent years, including 2006-2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

In developing the students’ civic responsibility, the study of the Holocaust and reading of Elie Wiesel’s Night is included as part of teacher Stacey Sklar’s Honors Sophomore English course.  To augment their Holocaust study, Ms. Sklar and Jack Weinstein of Facing History and Ourselves organized my visit to AVHS.  The students were well prepared, and while the schedule was for the usual 90 minutes of presentation and Q&A, student interest and enthusiasm were such that we continued an impromptu discussion and Q&A while standing in a small group for almost another hour.  The visit to AVHS was for me very gratifying!

by George J Elbaum

Milpitas High School (MHS) has a large and highly diverse student body – 3300 students, 37% Asian, 21% Filipino, 19% Hispanic, 19% White, and 4% African-American – and was the very first school in northern California to develop a Facing History course.  Jack Weinstein, Facing History and Ourselves’s Senior Program Advisor (formerly Director), taught at MHS from 1978 to 1997 and integrated Facing History’s resources early on within many of the school’s English courses. Then, in 1990, he developed a full-semester Facing History course focused on the Holocaust and Human Behavior. That course was an inter-disciplinary English and Social Studies course for 3 years, and then it evolved into a Social Studies elective focused not only on the Holocaust but on multiple case studies of genocide, human rights, and issues of race in American history.  When Weinstein left MHS in 1996 to establish the Bay Area office of Facing History, it was continued by other teachers so the course is among the longest-running electives in the school’s history.  In addition, nearly all freshman English courses now include a multi-week unit on the Holocaust with the study of Elie Wiesel’s Night as its centerpiece.

This was my 4th visit to MHS, and the students attending this talk were again well-prepared and we had a good, engaging Q&A session.  The students were from the multiple Social Studies courses taught by Jennifer Loomis and Caitlin Bellotti, who organized this event and who pass their own enthusiasm to their students.  Also attending the talk were Francis Rojas, MHS Principal, and Ruben Mata, MHS’s at-risk intervention specialist.   Arrangements for my talk and the introduction were again made by Jack Weinstein of Facing History.

Letters from students

A couple of weeks after visiting MHS I received a large envelope with a dozen letters from the students.  As has become our habit by now, after dinner my wife Mimi read each one aloud as I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally. We were touched by the students’ sensitivity, insight and heartfelt honesty, and we felt very gratified by the thoughtful responses and the empathy with which they related to my story.  The statements in these letters that resonated with us are excerpted below.

• You inspired me to work hard and to be successful in whatever I do.
• When I got home the first thing I did was tell my mom how I met you and how much you and your mother inspire me. You made me work harder in school, football and everything I do now.
• I am so sorry that something as intense and grotesque as the Holocaust happened and affected you and millions of other people too.
• I cannot imagine what it must have felt like to live your life in constant fear and anxiety every day.
• I wish I could write more than this letter but my English has a limit.
• Dear George, we appreciate the time and effort you gave.                                                          In exchange we will take your story and change how we behave.                                                  (The entire letter was written in rhyming couplets, as above.)
• You inspire me to help other people who are in need of getting back into society due to their bad habits.
• Your story helps me to fit into society because I came to America as an immigrant and I didn’t know what to do as a kid.
• I wish people like you would live on forever and tell your stories so that we can learn what you guys went through as a kid.
• Just thinking about sacrificing my pet in order to save my own life makes me feel beyond sad.
• Reading in a book or a video just doesn’t fully explain how hard it was to be a Jewish little kid doing no wrong.
• Joining this Facing History class I thought it was just going to be a regular history class, but I was wrong. This is now one of my favorite classes.
• Hearing your story was a good learning opportunity to never take life for granted. Also to pay it forward at any opportunity to the less fortunate or people in need.

by George J Elbaum

Contra Costa School of Performing Arts (SPA) was quite a surprise for me.  Before speaking at a school for the first time I try to learn a bit about it – is it new or old, its enrollment, its “flavor”, etc –  by visiting its website.  However, except for the “Performing Arts” in its name and in its mission statement (“The mission of Contra Costa School of Performing Arts is to provide a distinguished, pre-professional experience in performing arts within a college and career preparatory setting. We believe in fostering a culture of excellence with the core values of rigor, relevance, resilience and relationships.”) its website did not give me many facts or feeling about the school, and many of the positive descriptives were similar to those of many other schools. (Yes, I also learned that, in addition to standard academic fare, “SPA offers pre-conservatory style training in 5 Arts Majors: Dance, Instrumental Music, Production and Design, Theatre and Vocal Music.”)    I therefore made a list of questions, even asked a few of these* when met at the entrance by Stacey Wickware, the school’s Instructional Coach (*Answers: school opened last year, so the 2017-2018 school year is only its 2^nd year; current enrollment is 404), and we agreed to continue this discussion after my talk to the 10th graders.

This follow-on discussion was, for me, a fascinating eye-opener about the birth pangs of starting a charter school, for which we were joined by SPA’s founder and Exec. Director, Neil McChesney.    After several applications to the local and the county school boards, the fledging school held its first classes (6^th through 10^th grades) in a sub-divided gymnasium, moving into its current quarters this year, and will have its first graduating class of 23 students in June 2019.

The purpose in founding the SPA was to provide a quality educational environment aimed at students with interest & inclination in creative arts to prepare them for college and for the competitive arts world.  Because many students of performing arts have not only a personal passion but also enhanced sensitivity (which is both positive & negative), they benefit from personal mentoring to prepare them for the culture and behavior in the adult world.  This led to SPA’s focus on SHINE: Show responsibility, Have Respect, Invest in Yourself, Notice Others, Encourage Excellence.  All students get a mentor and a Chromebook to allow learning at their own pace, and each day starts with a one-hour “Spotlight” class of students/mentor interactions as needed, plus a weekly one-on-one session with the mentor.

My talk was introduced by Social Science teacher Karen Montgomery who also managed the Q&A, which I particularly appreciated because the questions were focused on my experiences and on our current society, such as “What can we as individuals do to fight indifference, hatred and racism today?” and “How can we help people with PTSD?” and “What one thing would you like us to get out of your visit today?”  Also, two small but very personal touches: immediately after the Q&A a student gave me a little card with “Thank You” and a lovely flower she drew on it, and another student asked if I like butterscotch, and when I answered “Of course” she gave me a butterscotch popsicle.  Very, very nice!

The event was arranged by Jack Weinstein of Facing History and Ourselves and organized by Stacey Wickware and Lisa Kingsbury, SPA’s Director of Curriculum and Integration, along with Karen Montgomery and English teacher, Veronica Woods.  Attending it also were SPA dance instructor, Katherine Orloff, instructional assistant, Christopher Totah, and Peg Borbely Covert, Campus Security Volunteer.

Student Letters 

A week or so after visiting SPA I received a large envelope with 48 letters from the students.  As has been our habit for years, after dinner my wife Mimi read each letter aloud as I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally. We were touched by the students’ unique sensitivity, insight and heartfelt honesty, and we felt very gratified by the thoughtful responses and the empathy with which they related to my story.  There were many statements in the letters that resonated with us, and these are excerpted below.

• To be able to help and teach others would be my dream, and that is exactly what you are doing. Thank you.
• The world is a pendulum that constantly rocks between cruelty and the closest thing we can call peace. People like you make a difference and allow it to swing closer to harmony.
• Check out the “Chain reaction of kind kindness” by Rachel Scott, the first victim of Columbine shooting. (Yes!)
• I felt like I couldn’t say anything after you talked because it was so emotionally intense.
• I sometimes judge people for small things and what you have taught me has made me think about my actions.
• I know that wherever you go, you will inspire others to maybe share their own story.
• When you spoke to the class you were pulling my hear strings so much. S. You ROCK!
• It’s me! The kid from the School of Performing Arts who gave you the butterscotch lollipop!  Keep inspiring the people around you, OK?   (signed) Butterscotch Kid
• Thank you for being a beacon of hope for many.
• You inspired me to stand for what I believe in and have faith. Have faith in myself, my family, friends, teachers.  You are encouraging love and hope.
• I really thought I would choke up during your story, but as moving as it was, afterwards when you were meeting and hugging some of the students, that really got to me and made me have a lil’ cry, I have to admit. Thank you for heavily inspiring me to be better.
• I’m a lot of things that one can possibly get killed for. It makes me scared/proud of myself.  Like you said, be true to yourself is something I hold dearly to my heard.  Thank you for telling your story.
• You’re making the world a better place.
• I have always been fascinated with learning and educating myself on the Holocaust, not only because I am a history buff, but also so I can educate people and help then notice signs of prejudice and put an end to it as well.
• My family is largely Eastern European Jewish, and hearing your story inspired me to learn more about my own past.
• Your story made me feel so many things, sad ones, happiness, fear, relief. Just thank you.  We are truly lucky to have you.
• You told me to choose the path of love & forgiveness. You told me to chase my dreams.  I will chase my dreams for the people like you who support me.  Thank you.
• In your story I found so much hope, especially hope in humanity. I found hope because of the families that helped you and the people who fought back.
• I never really understood what happened and how it affected people. I wish I could go back in time and help people.
• When things get rough for me, sometimes I question if I’m capable of doing anything good with my life. But you, sir, have shown me that with determination, you can do anything.
• I know how hard it can be to keep everything to yourself because being vulnerable and open is a frightening thing, but with it comes cries for you, hugs, just deep compassion.
• Have you thought that your life was more built on destiny than luck? I think you were put on this earth for a reason, Mr. Elbaum, and something/someone wanted you to live past the shed, the grenade, the Polish houses that helped to keep you here.
• What you say is right. People who have been discouraged, discourage others, so if I want something I got to work my ass off to get it!  That’s what I connected to.  I thank you so much for coming.  Please keep doing what you are doing, sir, it makes a difference.
• Your story impacted me in a way that all I could feel was love for you, knowing what you had been through, how you dealt with it, how you overcame it.
• The two rules you wanted us to live by will definitely be a part of my life now. Your presentation meant the world to me.  Truly, thank you.
• I was too shy to go up to you and say anything, but I just want you to know that your talk moved me. You talked about how it is never wrong to say something when you see a bully bullying someone.  We get told that every day, but hearing it from someone who has been through so much made it way more powerful.
• I particularly liked when you told us to stand up to bullies. I myself have been bullied a lot through my life, but when I started to hit the weights the bullying stoped and I started to stop bullies.  My friend who is really short for his age was picked on after school and I saw it.  I pushed the bully away, grabbed my friend and walked home with him.  Thank you very much for inspiring people to do good.  (Bravo!)
• Your talk was so inspiring. My dream is to go to Yale, and so many people say: “You can’t do it” and “give up,” but you showed me I could.
• Your story makes me appreciate my mother a lot more for all that she has done for me, and all that she would do for me.
• Thank you so much for inspiring me to be the change in the world that I want to see.
• It’s so amazing how even through all of the darkness you’ve been through, you still believe in the beauty and power of sharing your story. I promise I’ll continue to follow my dreams.

by George J Elbaum

Dougherty Valley High School (DVHS) was established in 2007, which explains its very apropos slogan “The Tradition Starts Now!”  In these 9 years its enrollment has grown rapidly from 570 students to approximately 3200 now.  Despite this rapid growth, it scored the highest Academic Performance Index in the San Ramon school district and the 27^th highest in California, and was awarded a gold medal and ranked in the top 500 schools in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report – an impressive growth in both enrollment and ratings.

Today was the 3^rd time I’ve spoken at DVHS to a class of 11^th and 12^th graders in the elective course Facing History: Holocaust and Human Behavior, and once again I was very impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the students and their teacher, Dana Pattison.  As before, the students were very well prepared and thoughtful, and this time during the Q&A I was even asked several very meaningful and personal questions that have never been asked in my 150+ talks in the last 7 years.  I very much welcome it when it happens, as it makes me think deeply about the issue being asked.  In fact, after the Q&A I was moved to tell the students that they are lucky to have Dana Pattison for their teacher.  It was a very gratifying experience for me, arranged by Jack Weinstein of Facing History and Ourselves.

Letters from students

A week after visiting DVHS I received a large envelope with 25 festive Thank You notes from the students.  As has become our habit by now, after dinner my wife Mimi read each one aloud as I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally. We were touched by the students’ sensitivity, insight and heartfelt honesty, and we felt very gratified by the thoughtful responses and the empathy with which they related to my story.  There were many statements in the notes that resonated with us, and these are excerpted below.

• I went home after your visit and told my mom, sisters, and friends about your incredible story, and it really moved us all to tears.
• I know it takes a large amount of courage within you to open up about the loss and tragedies you have gone through, but I also admire your amazing positive and uplifting spirit and character.
• You have been through events that are unimaginable for me and others, yet you still spread love and positivity.
• You told my class a very powerful quote which will stick with me for the rest of my life: “be for things rather than against them.” I hope to follow that saying and be more like you by having hope, faith, and courage, not only in myself but also in others.
• I really liked what you said about being for things rather than being against a cause, especially in the current social & political environment. I was inspired by what you said and how you have spent time touching students about compassion and trying to overcome ignorance.  Everything you have spoken about is very important for young generations to hear.
• You showed me how despite your harsh past your mindset is key to success. No matter luck or fate, you are still alive today to send this message to everyone that meets you in hope of a better future.
• You said that a large reason why you survived was because of luck, but I think that a large part of it was because you were resilient & didn’t let the bad situations conquer you.
• Thank you for providing inspiration and hope with your beautiful story.
• Your story was very powerful, and I aspire to be a better and more understanding person everyday.
• In the future, I will make a conscious effort to be as accepting as I can. It is important to stand up for others.
• What struck with me the most out of all you said was the power of choices. How we as children have and are constantly making choices, and it is up to us whether we make the right ones.  It really made me think about the choices I’ve made and whether I could have made different ones.  It definitely made me think about my own life.
• I went home and told my whole family about everything you told us. It gave me a different perspective on what it means to be alive, and on the choices we make.
• I appreciated all the honesty and vulnerability you brought to our class, because you didn’t have to.
• As corny as it may sound, you have completely changed my view on the world. It is people like you who show me that there are good people in the world.
• When hearing you constantly say “it was luck” I disagreed in my head. Luck is finding $5 on the ground.  You are truly blessed.  I’m not sure of your religious affiliation, but in my eyes you are blessed.  You have some kick ass guardian angels up in heaven.
• Thank you for being so strong.
• Although it may conjure up disturbing feelings of trauma and unpleasantness, you still talked about these as your moral obligation to do so.
• As a young man, it opened up my obligation and responsibility to prevent history from repeating again through my actions and intentions.  The seeds of hope have been sown, and thank you for that.

by George J Elbaum

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) is a San Francisco Bay Area social services organization whose mission statement is “Serving individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds, guided by the Jewish value of caring for those in our community most in need.”  JFCS’s Holocaust Center also conducts teacher training seminars focused on teaching moral courage and social responsibility.  As part of that effort, the Center held a pre-conference clinic for a group of teachers from throughout the U.S. and South America who were participating in the annual educator conference of the National Council for the Social Studies, and who chose the JFCS seminar on Holocaust education as their area of interest. My talk was a part of this seminar, and I much enjoyed fielding their questions and the one-on-one conversations with several of them afterwards.

The event was arranged by Nikki Bambauer, Program Coordinator of the JFCS Holocaust Center, and was attended by Morgan Blum Schneider, its Director of Education, plus JFCS’s new Associate Director Alexis Herr.  Whereas the Q&A at the end of each talk is always my favorite as then I learn and can address the interests of the audience, this time it came with an added and very pleasant surprise: presumably in response to my sweet tooth that I describe in my talks, Morgan brought out a plateful of chocolate chip cookies for all of us, and I found myself answering questions while munching on a delicious cookie.  Thank you, Morgan!

by George J Elbaum

Oceana High School is a small public high school in northern Pacifica, CA, with a high diversity student body of 652 students, of which 81% are minority and 32% are economically disadvantaged, but it nevertheless has earned a “Best High Schools in California” rating by the US News & World Report Rankings and an Academic Performance Index of 817.  It has accomplished this by having special teaching programs, exhibition projects in each grade, and a community service requirement for all students.  I spoke at Oceana 2 years ago and was touched when a student who attended that talk, remembered that I spoke about a sweet tooth, and gave me a candy bar before my arrival.

My presentation was organized by Oceana’s Humanities teachers Coreen Hartig, Keziah David, and Roisin Madden for approximately 150 10^th grade students who have been learning social history and concepts, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Universe of Obligation, the stages of genocide, the Armenian Genocide, Eugenics, and the Nazis’ rise to power. Their year-long study is based on Facing History and Ourselves’ focus on oppression and resistance: what are their causes and what are their consequences?

Also attending the presentation were Paul Orth, Science Teacher, Peter Menard, Special Education Teacher, Janice O’Leary, Library Assistant, and Bruce Higgins, Student Welfare & Attendance Monitor.  The presentation was arranged by Brian Fong of Facing History and Ourselves, with whom I rode to-and-from Pacifica, discussing social and basic human obligations and the deep gratification of truly personal philanthropy – giving one’s time & effort, not funds – which I’ve observed from most teachers.

Letters from Students

A few weeks after my visit to Oceana High School I received a thick envelope with 101 letters from the 10^th grade students who attended my talk plus a very thoughtful and touching letter from teacher Roisin Madden.  After some delay due to my travels, visiting guests, etc., my wife Mimi and I finally read all the letters (several dozen after each of several dinners), with Mimi reading each letter aloud while I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally.   We were touched by the students’ heartfelt openness and sensitivity reflected in these letters, appreciated their decorations (drawings of flowers, hang glider, sugar cube, chocolate bar, and even an actual chocolate bar taped to one letter), and we felt very gratified by their responses to my story.  Statements from these letters that particularly resonated with us are excerpted below.

• You learn about the Holocaust in school and they teach you the history, but hearing the story told from your point of view just puts a whole new perspective on how it all happened.
• I will remember this as a lesson of how people can have a choice in what path of life they choose.
• You taught me an important lesson today and it is to let go of the bad things and forget the bad memories to save more room for the good memories.
• It is so important for my generation, and the generations to come, to hear your story. Your words carry a power and truth that help us to remember and understand how our world used to be, so we must shape it into a better, far better world.
• I am fascinated by how much depth and emotion you put into what you spoke about. It was almost like I was there…. but I wasn’t, you were.
• I’m grateful to be able to stand by my Jewish culture and feel safe. I am grateful that I don’t need to change my identity to belong.
• To this day discrimination is still a big problem. No more white and black seating on the bus, no more Holocaust.
• You asked if we would take in a child in a country where it would put our lives at risk. My answer is Yes.  I feel that if I turned down the opportunity to take care or raise a child, I would never forgive myself.  I want to make a difference in my life and the lives of people around me.
• I want you to know that I will use your words as inspiration in my life to stay strong and to fight for what I believe.
• I was amazed when you said that you got into MIT, and that motivates me to try and get into my dream college/university.
• In class we go over citizens’ experiences, but we don’t really realize the tragic struggles they went through unless we hear it from their own perspective.
• Your story has inspired me in a way that no other has. In my life I have already lost my closest friends and family, and I hold onto the negative things that have happened to me.  I have to learn to let go.  Your story has taught me this, and it will help me do that.
• I have learned something really important from your talk: that hearing someone speak of their experiences helps history feel less distant and more real.
• I will always remember how you said to always be “for things, not against things.” I will remember that it is up to us to make the choices we make and not up to others.
• You said that we have a choice to live our lives full of anger, hate, and lies, or we could make the choice to live with fairness, truth, and respectfulness.
• I’m 15 and I can’t imagine losing most of my family members. That makes me cherish every single moment I have with my family and friends.
• You proved to us that the tragedies that happened in the past, though still remembered, are in the past, and all we can do is to live in the now and enjoy today.
• I’m sorry for all of your losses, however I like to believe we will all meet again one day, somewhere, somehow.
• I learned from you to not give up, to not look back, and to keep going forward day by day.
• It shows how fragile human life can be, and how easy it would have been for someone to take a wrong turn or make a wrong choice, and for future to be completely changed for a person.
• I hope that you can go on to talk to many more schools about your experience, affecting more young minds.
• I have learned that helping people and taking risks can save lives.
• Not only does your story help deepen our understanding of the Holocaust, but it will help us to be better human beings in the future.
• I find it interesting how the smallest actions can determine your chances of survival. For example, when you smiled at the soldier and then continued to eat your soup.
• Your story taught me to live in the present, neither yesterday nor tomorrow, but today.
• Just like you say, “I am lucky.” I am lucky that I did not experience an event like the Holocaust.
• Before attending your talk yesterday, I did not believe in the slightest bit about luck, and only in hard work, skill and experience. I learned not only that there is luck but also that I would be willing to do what the families hiding you did.
• You told us to reflect about whether I would be willing to hide a little boy; I would. I cannot think of turning away a small child who would otherwise be killed.  They are someone’s child, a future life in my hands.
• Your personal account really gave me a new sense of the scale of how many people suffered during the Holocaust outside of just the concentration camps.
• Have you ever thought of what life might have been if the Holocaust didn’t happen and if you would live a life not in America?
• I realize that you are the first person I’ve heard to say luck made you survive instead of “God.”
• I have been to Germany and have been to a concentration camp before and learned a lot. But your coming to our school and telling us your experiences has a bigger effect than what I have previously learned.
• Your comparison to San Francisco’s population really helped me grasp the concept of how many people died in the Holocaust.
• Do you think that history will repeat itself with who we have as President of the U.S.?
• I now know more about the Holocaust and how a different perspective can change the view that I had about this event. It was shocking to know how there was an actual wall that was built to keep all these innocent people encaged.
• There was one thing I got from all of it, and that is to keep moving on. It’s never going to keep going unless you let go of what is holding you back.  That is something I will always remember.
• Learning about the Holocaust or other tragedies, especially from people who have experienced such events, teaches students like me to understand oppression and hardships that cultures have faced throughout history.
• Your words moved me. I had chills running down my spine.
• I will always be thanking you for expanding my knowledge of the events that took place during the Holocaust, and for the upliftment and awareness that you have bestowed on me. I could not be more thankful.
• During your presentation, and the way you explained your story, I actually felt like I was there with you. It was a good experience to have.
• I think you are completely right about older people being unable to change their views on certain things.
• I’ve been bullied, pushed, lied & threaten for all my life. I’ve even been told to just die.  When you told us how your kind were getting killed & beaten & yet you survived & saw a better future, it showed me that those who are lucky to survive shall be lucky in life.  Thank you for helping me to luck in the future for a better life.
• You and your story have not only been listened to but it has been heard. Keep sharing your story.  We will continue to listen.
• I’m going to write this letter as though I were speaking to you in person.
• I like to believe that in every dark time there is a moment like your “sugar cube moment.” At least I hope for there to be one.
• Your story really means a lot to me because my grandparents are Jewish. They have told me about the discrimination that they went through when growing up.
• I also want to thank you for talking to us like the young adults that we are, and for asking very important life questions that you had us think about.
• You are very lucky to still be standing today, and I also had luck to hear your real experience.
• Thank you for making your book free so people can read it.
• Many people don’t know that the Holocaust even happened, like my grandma, and when I told her she cried and was shocked to hear what happened to Jews.
• I thank you for ensuring that the younger generation is not clueless about the genocide that is the Holocaust.
• I really appreciate how you turned a page from a textbook or a presentation slide into a reality and someone’s story.
• Hearing your story inspired me to tell others about your story and how the Holocaust actually happened.
• I hope that your name and memory live on, just as your story surely will.

From a teacher

• I asked my students to consider what they will “hold onto” from today, to imagine what they might tell their children about what they heard and saw today. And in doing so, the magnitude of your gift hit me.  They now have inside them a piece of history – a piece of the past so critical to our understanding of humanity, and survival, and hatred, and mercy, and will.  There is no replacement for that, or for the impact that it might have each and every day they live.

by George J Elbaum

In 1908 Katherine Delmar Burke founded her school to fill an obvious need: young women who wanted to be educated enough to attend college faced often-insurmountable barriers.   More than 100 years later, her school (Burke’s) still has the same mission: “to educate, encourage and empower girls.  The school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.”  Burke’s now has approximately 400 students (K-8) and a unique 3.5-acre campus in a residential district of San Francisco with mostly open space: a large grass athletic field, a sports court and two multipurpose courtyards with play structures. Its facilities include a large library, innovation labs, science labs, several art, music and drama studios, and a gymnasium/ auditorium.  The faculty-to-students ratio is 1:7, and the average tenure of faculty at Burke’s is 10 years.

Burke’s prides itself in having its students graduate with a strong academic foundation and also a love of learning — not just for the sake of grades. This reflects Burke’s long-standing commitment to preserving the spirit of exploration while students master traditional skills and concepts.  Upper School students have a comprehensive program that includes core academic subjects plus art, music, drama, and physical education, while 7th and 8th graders also have classes in public speaking and service learning plus many electives. The teaching of computer skills is integrated into the curriculum.

A unique program at Burke’s is the Makery, in which Burke’s decided to take a hard look at its outdated technology labs and replace these with space that emphasizes “make” and “creativity” and allows for innovative teaching and “tinkering.”  This facility provides materials, tools (including a 3D printer), and talented faculty which allow students to model their work for each other in a collaborative, open environment.   The ultimate goal of the Makery is to create a joyful learning environment for the girls that promotes creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking.

This, my second talk at Burke’s, was attended by all the 8th grade students, organized by teacher Debbie Yoon, and arranged by Brian Fong of Facing History and Ourselves.  Also attending were Ian Van Wert, Upper School Science Teacher; Maria Shuman, Library and Innovation Support Assistant; Michelle Loomis, Upper School Library and Digital Media Specialist; Ron Malek, Upper School Learning Specialist; and Filomena Spero, Associate Director of Advancement.

Letters from Students

A week after visiting Burke’s I received a large envelope with 40+ letters from the 8^th grade students and one from the teacher.  As has become our habit by now, after dinner my wife Mimi read each letter aloud as I listened and absorbed it mentally and emotionally. We were touched by the students’ sensitivity, insight and heartfelt honesty, and we felt very gratified by their responses to my story.  There was an unusually large number of statements in these letters that resonated with us, and these are excerpted below.

• Your witness statement inspires me to continue to teach social justice to my students – it really makes a difference! The students are forever changed to be voices of change!
• Thanks again for your courage and drive to share your message of love, tolerance, hope and resiliency in the face of hatred and evil.
• Your story has inspired me to do better in school and to thank my parents for the life they have given me. You have opened up a passion in me that I didn’t know existed.
• I was deeply affected by this story because it taught me to love life and not take anything for granted.
• I was on the edge of my seat the entire time that you were talking.
• One thing in your presentation that stood out for me was when you said how in life we have a choice: to succumb to the hate in the world, or to stand up for what is right. This impacted me because I realized that we can all make a difference in the world, but it is one’s decision whether to use that power for bad or good.
• I learned more from your talk than just facts and details. I learned that everyone’s life should be valued the same, that there is always more than one side to a story, and the importance of educating students on topics such as the Holocaust.
• The story of your life was told in such a way that you were able to transport the audience to a different place with the great detail provided in the small snippets of your life.
• Your story was extremely humbling, and has inspired me to make a difference in the world, be it large or small, because I have learned the importance of helping and standing up for others.
• I thank you for sharing a piece of your heart with us. We are all better for it.
• From a genuine space in my heart I want to thank you for the inspiring and touching words we heard from you. You made me feel closer to my roots of Judaism, and closer to the millions of broken hearts, dreams, and most importantly lives snatched away from the innocent.
• Because I am African-American, I feel like both of our cultures share similar past experiences, so it was really great to feel that connection.
• Your story inspired me to be more thankful for the privileged life that I’m fortunate enough to live.
• The part when you said that if your mother had not come in time to give the document to the Nazi so you could stay in the ghetto and not get shipped off to the concentration camp really made me realize that you were so close to death, but your mother came just in time. This really made me realize that a lot of people were not as lucky as you.
• My friend and I think you should enter the lottery since you are so lucky!
• I have been thinking a lot this week, since I am Jewish, my family and ancestors could have gone through that if they lived where you did.
• The world is very ignorant, full of unreasonable hat and violence, and people like you can change much of that.
• I am so lucky that I have had parents and teachers who have taught me not to discriminate. Even in today’s world, our own president is saying bad things about Muslims and how they are terrorists, which is not true.
• Thank you for reminding me that I have a choice in who I become in this world and inspiring me to be the change in the world.
• You have courage, true courage to speak to us. I hope you understand that you have become a role model for me and plenty of others who have heard your wise words.
• No one young or old deserves the hatred that millions of Jews faced. I thank you for sharing your story, and not just with Burke’s but with the world!
• It was very interesting how you consider yourself to live by the golden rule, “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” You have inspired me to live by this saying, and to always do the right thing even if it is the hard thing.
• Your story will stay with me as long as I am alive, and I will keep it close to my heart.
• Your story is a wonderful example of how people survive injustice and hate. Your story was also relevant to what is happening in the world today.
• I have been thinking about the stories you have told us, and I have changed the way I look at the world and the way I think. You said to either live our lives with hate or with love, which has stuck with me.
• Your presentation showed all of us what being fearless and brave looks like in an environment filled with hate.
• I really appreciated how you didn’t dance around the truth. Often when teachers tell stories about the Holocaust they focus on only positive stories and try to diminish the suffering, but you spoke with such a clear voice and stated things so simply, I could understand them without feeling patronized.
• The courage and strength of your mother has empowered me to learn more about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and has driven me to find ways to help the refugees.
• Even though I have read books and watched movies about World War 2, hearing your story gave me a whole new perspective of what families had to face.
• I was truly moved and taught a valuable lesson about my actions and how they affect others.
• After you spoke I could picture the fear and the worry of not knowing what will happen tomorrow.
• Your speech opened my eyes to the cruelties that happened during the Holocaust, and how harsh mankind can be.
• You asked us: “If we had the option to risk our lives to save people from death, would we do it?” When you first asked it, I was hones with myself, and no, I wouldn’t have.  After hearing your story and putting myself in their shoes, I changed my mind.  Now I would certainly risk my life to save others.  This is the impact that you had on my thoughts.
• Thank you for showing us to never lose hope.
• I don’t think that many kids today can relate to the amount of stress and tragedy you must have endured in your childhood.
• I was really shocked how the one image on the cover of your book was able to make a lasting impact on your life, not only defining what your career would be in the future, but also portraying fear and your longing to be free and out of hiding during the war.
• You helped me comprehend the horrific events of the Holocaust, and I feel the motivation to help prevent that hatred and some of our own examples of cruelty in the world today.
• Even though I have been reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and learning about her experiences in World War II, I was still so shocked when you told us about the horror you lived through. It was very eye opening to hear about this terrible time in history from someone who survived it.
• Though I have not endured anything near to what you did, I too hope to have a positive impact on the world someday.
• I was really impacted when you told us how many San Franciscos would have been killed to match the number of people who were actually killed in the Holocaust.
• Your story was so amazing, moving and interesting to hear and it really helped me to relate to Anne Frank and her diary more than I could before.
• You were telling your story in a way that I felt like I could have been there with you the entire time, watching it happen.
• I was so moved when you told us that for about 65 years you did not talk about your amazing story or the Holocaust, because I am beyond grateful that you do now.

by George J Elbaum

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (SHC) is an innovative Catholic high school with an enrollment of 1300 students and a dynamic blend of liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and 21st-century pedagogy which develops resourceful, independent thinkers.   The school prides itself on its commitment to its educational philosophy, Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve, and it offers an array of courses, from college preparatory through honors and advanced placement curriculum.  SHC’s commitment to rigorous academics and social justice helps mold students into hardworking, thoughtful and altruistic adults.

Incoming students are assigned a school counselor with whom they will continue to consult until graduation.  In junior year, students are also assigned a college advisor who will guide them through the college research, application and financial aid process.  SHC’s Counseling and Advising Program provides parents and students the academic guidance they need to navigate a challenging college prep curriculum commensurate with the individual student’s talents and aspirations, making the transition from SHC to college as seamless as possible.

Because SHC lies in the heart of San Francisco’s technology center and near Silicon Valley and has an active network of alumni, parents and professional partners, it established the Student Launch Initiative (SLI) as the area’s preeminent high school entrepreneurship program.  This program teaches students to identify problems and design solutions that positively impact the lives of their peers, their families, and their community.  Through SLI’s workshops and speakers’ series, industry innovators and entrepreneurs introduce students to entrepreneurial concepts including ideation, project development and business model development.  SLI goes beyond the classroom to provide hands-on experience, practical learning, direct mentorship, and seed funding to help launch student projects.

Attending my talk were the 11^th and 12^th grade students of Comparative Religion taught by Ismael Ruiz, 12th grade Civics students, 11th and 12th grade AP Language students and 10^th grade World History students.  The event was organized by Ismael Ruiz and Margi Beima, SHC’s Director of Community Learning Partnerships, Assistant to the President, and Head Girls Volleyball Coach…and a very enthusiastic person!  Also attending the talk were faculty members Julie Phelan, Erin Wiley, Jack Schindler and Gregg Francheschi.   Arrangement for the talk were made by Nikki Bambauer, JFCS’s Program Coordinator.